Time to bite the bullet for future of Freeman Court

JEANIE MCRAE has called Freeman Court home for four years - and she loves it. In fact she loves it so much she will be one of the speakers in support of the new funding drive being launched next Thursday to upgrade the facility. 215061AD

More than 35 years ago Te Awamutu’s Mayor, Alf (Ned) Freeman, opened the Te Awamutu Eventide Home for the town and district’s elderly, following a massive fundraising effort by the Te Awamutu Lions Club.

So big was the project that it became an International Project for Lions clubs around the world, and along with additional funding from local service and voluntary groups, as well as the backing of many local businesses, the 25-bed home rapidly became a haven of comfort and enjoyment for elderly people from throughout the area.

Within five years the 15-bed Bryant Wing had been added, and in 1983 the facility was renamed Freeman Home in recognition of Mayor Freeman’s 15 years of service to the Te Awamutu community. Further expansion saw accommodation lifted to a total of 44, and over the past two years Freeman Court, as it became known in 1997, has had full occupancy.

But the original buildings are now close to 40 years old, and much of the structure and internal facilities are in serious need of major repair or redevelopment.

Now, a substantial funding drive is being planned for the next three years, with a target of $600,000, and businesses and other commercial enterprises throughout the Te Awamutu township and surrounding rural areas are to be asked to help. Individuals and business leaders are being invited to a special fundraising launch at Freeman Court on Thursday, August 10, and Waipa District Mayor Alan Livingston is encouraging local residents to get behind the project.

Mr Livingston, who is also acting chairman of the not-for-profit Te Awamutu Eventide Home Trust Board which administers the running of Freeman Court, says the home has always provided excellent service for its elderly residents, always at an affordable cost, but as it is not a rest home it does not receive government subsidies.

“But to achieve this, little provision was made for longterm maintenance and upgrade requirements, on the basis that the community would lend their financial support when the need arose,” he says. “Thirty-six years on, and Freeman Court is now at the point where it needs a face-lift and costly upgrades to meet increased compliance requirements. It is time to pass the hat around again for our Te Awamutu community to help upgrade Freeman Court so we can continue to provide affordable accommodation for our elderly folk to enjoy. The facility does not receive any government funding.”

Mr Livingston says he endorses the recognition that upgrade work on the home is essential, and he urged people to support the fundraising scheme.

Freeman Court trust board secretary, Mark Evans, says the facility is the only one of its kind in the district, providing excellent care for older people who are unable to fully care for themselves, but who are still mobile and do not require the high level of support offered by other, more costly rest homes.

“Many of the residents are longtime residents of Te Awamutu and the surrounding districts,” says Mr Evans. “They have long-established connections and family ties to the area, and without Freeman Court they may have to move away to get the care and support they require. It is essential that we keep the facility going. But to do that it urgently needs substantial work in a number of areas.”

He says the buildings need complete refurbishment inside and out, much of the plumbing and electric wiring needs attention, and many of the interior facilities and fittings need replacing or upgrading.

“These days, a major portion of fees paid by residents is spent on providing increasing care as their health declines.”

Mr Evans says the trust board now faces the problem of whether to continue providing this additional care, and if not, what alternatives may be available for some residents.

An extensive maintenance and capital works report on the home, prepared by building consultants Russell Easton Ltd, estimates an essential first-phase redevelopment budget of more than $475,000. Of this, $183,000 is needed for urgent maintenance, with an additional $291,750 for capital works.

“This is an urgent project, and we hope the community and businesses in the Te Awamutu area will give it the support it deserves,” says Mr Evans.